


Black Bile in the Garden

by Seer_of_Soul



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon - Anime, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, I’ll add more tags as I get there, Not Beta Read, Self-Harm, Self-Indulgent, Trans Male Character, Tsubaki gets an eve, a couple of broken boys help each other out, basically after the anime, not graphic, pretty much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 09:43:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15749148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seer_of_Soul/pseuds/Seer_of_Soul
Summary: Eden sat alone at the edge of the playground, watching his younger siblings. He wondered why he hadn’t been enjoying anything.“I wonder.... I suppose... it’s just... not interesting at all....”A very pretty stranger heard him and decided to start a conversation.





	1. In the Garden: There is Rain

Eden sat by himself in the park, watching his little brother and sister play on the playground. They had started a game of tag with a few other kids. He was sitting as far away from everyone else as possible, on the wire bench connected to the fence surrounding the playground. He gave a bored sigh and leaned back against the fence. _”Why am I over here by myself...?”_ He thought to himself. _”Wouldn’t it be fun to go goof off with them...?”_ He tilted his head in thought. _”Come to think of it... I haven’t been doing much lately. I wonder why.”_ He tapped his fingers against his sudoku workbook. “I wonder.... I suppose... it’s just... not interesting at all....” He gave a small sigh, leaning back and closing his eyes. 

“Oh? What’s not?” A stranger’s voice asked softly. 

Eden opened his eyes, seeing a pretty stranger leaning over the fence. “Huh? I’m sorry, what did you say?” He asked, having not really heard what he said. 

“What’s not interesting at all?” The stranger asked, tilting his head. He was a very pretty man, with soft features and a kind smile. His black hair looked soft and fluttered in the soft breeze. He wore some sort of foreign outfit, a kimono Eden recognized. His eyes were hidden by a pair of thin sunglasses. 

“Oh....” Eden thought for a moment. “Everything...? I just... can’t find enjoyment in things lately... even when I know I should enjoy them, it’s hard to actually imagine myself enjoying them.”

The pretty man nodded softly, humming thoughtfully. “Yes, it’s much the same for me. Everything is not interesting at all....” He looked a little sad when he said that. 

“I’m sorry,” Eden said softly, looking down at his hands. 

“For what?” The stranger asked. 

“Making you talk about that with me. Talking about my problems with someone who probably has better things to do. And... anything else.” 

The pretty man laughed softly. “You don’t need to apologize for any of that. May I sit with you?” Eden nodded. The stranger hopped the fence, sat down, and crossed his legs in one smooth motion. Eden blinked, slightly amazed at the fluidity of the motion. 

Eden blinked again, snapping himself out of his amazement. “What’s your name?” He asked politely. 

The pretty stranger thought for a moment. “My father called me Tsubaki.” He looked a little sad when he said that name. “What’s your name?”

Eden hesitated. “It’s... Eden, but... I don’t like it very much....”

“No? I think it’s a very pretty name?”

Eden shook his head. “It’s difficult to explain....”

“Is it? I can’t see why it would be.”

Eden furrowed his eyebrows. “It’s... it doesn’t suit me anymore.... I’m a different person now than when I was younger, when I was Eden.”

Tsubaki chuckled softly. “That’s not strange at all. I understand it quite well.”

Eden blinked in surprise, raising his head to look back at Tsubaki. He was smiling down at him, but he looked sad, despite the smile. “You do...?” He straightened his back, suddenly feeling more at ease with the stranger. 

Tsubaki nodded. “Oh! Here’s an idea. Why don’t we give each other a new name?” He giggled to himself, covering his mouth with his sleeve. 

Eden felt a smile spread across his face. “That sounds fun....” He tilted his head in thought, laying eyes on his brother and sister again. “What about...” he mumbled, fussing with his lip. “...Chiyuki...?”

“Oh? Why that name?” Tsubaki asked softly, a pleased smile on his face. 

Eden worried his lip. “I... it seems to suit you.... I heard it somewhere before, a show I think.... Do you like it? If not that’s okay...!” He looked up at Tsubaki worriedly. 

Tsubaki laughed softly, laying a gentle hand on his head. “No, I do like it. You may call me that if you wish, or else, Tsubaki.” He leaned back against the fence, tapping a finger against his lips. “Hmmm... now, a name for you....” He tilted his head, staring deep into Eden’s eyes. “Would you prefer a western name?”

Eden shook his head. “Whatever you like.” He felt his face get a little warmer. Tsubaki was very pretty. He glanced away and laid eyes on his siblings again, seeing his brother trying to climb a steep slide. 

Tsubaki hummed, drawing Eden’s attention. “What about... Jun?” He smiled softly, the smile actually reaching his eyes this time. “It means sincere, pure, and kind.” 

Eden felt the small light in his chest bloom even more. “Oh.... Do-... do you think that suits me...?” 

Tsubaki smiled and nodded. “Very well.” He patted Eden’s hair again. 

Eden, Jun smiled softly. “Alright then, please call me Jun then. ...I feel kinda bad though... you put a lot of thought into it, but I just said the first thing that came to mind....”

Tsubaki giggled softly and covered his mouth again. “No no, I don’t mind at all.” He leaned back against the fence, looking up at the sky. “Ah... I’d forgotten how it felt to receive a new name....” He sounded both wistful and pleased. “I believe I’ll like this one, Chiyuki....”

Jun nodded. “I think I’ll like mine too.” He grinned slightly, feeling a happiness inside him for the first time in a while. He looked towards the play ground’s entrance, seeing his mother coming back from her hike. “Oh. Mom’s back.” 

“Oh? That woman there?” Tsubaki leaned around Jun to get a better look at her. “Hm, you do look rather similar.” 

Jun nodded, watching his mother call for his siblings. “Oh. It’s time for us to go,” he said sadly, not wanting to leave his new friend. 

Tsubaki touched his arm. “Wait a moment.... Do you...” he hesitated. “Would you leave this place, if you had the chance?”

Jun blinked in surprise, unsure of how to answer. “I....” He thought about his siblings and his mother. _”Would I leave them...? Could I leave them?”_ He thought about his father. How much he wanted to avoid going back to that house. _”If I lived with Mom, the answer would be no... but....”_ Jun nodded slightly, standing up. He looked back at Tsubaki. “Yeah. I think I would.” 

“Eden! Let’s go!” His mother yelled from across the playground. 

“I have to go now, Chiyuki. I hope I can see you soon.” He felt a genuine smile spread across his face as he left. He jogged towards his mother. 

“I’m sure you will, Jun....” He heard Tsubaki murmur. Turning back at the gate to wave good bye, Jun saw that Tsubaki had disappeared. Jun wondered briefly if he’d jumped the fence again.  
.  
.  
.  
Jun waved good bye to his mother and younger siblings as he stood at the front door of his father’s house. His siblings waved from the windows as his sister vaulted into the passengers seat that he’d just vacated. The car pulled away and a minute later, they were gone. Jun sighed softly. He pulled out his key and opened the door. 

Stepping inside the house brought him to another world. Instead of the sunny, if a bit chilly day, the house was dark and stuffy. The smell of some kind of air freshener lingered around the door, but did nothing for the rest of the entryway. Jun made his way up the stairs as quickly as possible. 

“Eden! Is that you?” His father’s voice sounded from the living room, freezing Jun in his tracks. 

“Y-yeah dad....” He leaned over the railing slightly. 

“You have fun today?”

“Yeah dad....”

“Good. Make something with meat for dinner okay?”

Jun worried his lip. “Okay dad.” He slunk back, away from the raining and made his way up the rest of the stairs. He made a bee line for the bathroom, quickly shutting the door and locking it. He slid down the door and closed his eyes, laying his head in his hands. A shudder traveled up his back. A healing bruise on his hip throbbed from the position his legs were in. He straightened his leg and tilted his head up, focusing on the dead fly inside the light fixture. He tapped his fingers against the tiles, letting his mind drift back into the ever consuming numbness. 

A minute later, he rolled to his feet, feeling much too heavy.  
_**Bad blood. Gotta get rid of it.**_  
He staggered over to the sink, rolling his sleeve up past his elbow. He stumbled a little, his head spinning wildly. He looked at his reflection in the the mirror of the medicine cabinet. Dirty hair that had once been blond, now a dirty brown hung too low over his face. He’d have to cut it soon, or else his father would say he was looking like a girl again.  
_**You’re such a pretty girl Eden.**_  
Tired blue eyes stared back at him, wanting something. But there wasn’t anything to grasp for. Only numbness. Or else, only pain. He had gotten paler, almost alarmingly so. He wondered if his mother or siblings had noticed. He wondered if Chiyuki had noticed. Probably not. He pulled his father’s old fashioned razor out of its place on the sink, in the little cup that held his tooth brush. He flipped the razor open, looking at the reflection of his eyes in its blade.  
_**Bad blood.... This will get rid of it.**_  
.  
.  
.  
Jun laid on his bed, letting the breeze from the open window clear out the heavy air. He was light headed, the world was spinning, but the oppressive weight was gone. He breathed out a sigh of relief, closing his eyes. The spinning was giving him a headache. He draped one arm over his eyes, feeling the loosely wrapped bandages scratching the bridge of his nose. 

“I have to say, I didn’t expect this....” A strange voice said, coming from within his room. Jun bolted upright, but made himself sickeningly dizzy. He doubled over, clutching his head with a groan. “I now regret not following more closely.” 

Jun raised his head, seeing a black and white animal with two tails sitting in the center of his room. At first Jun thought the animal was a cat of some sort, but it was too canine. “A... fox...? A talking fox....” Jun dropped his head back into his hands. “Oh no, I’m hallucinating....” Jun felt a small weight on his feet. He looked down and saw the two tailed fox standing on his foot. “Oh....” He sat up straighter. The fox jumped into his lap, putting its front feet on his chest. 

“We are even more alike than I thought,” the fox said sadly. “And for that I am truly sorry.”

Jun blinked in confusion. “What...? You....” He sat back on his elbows, rubbing one hand over his face. 

“Would you like me to take you away from here?” The fox asked softly, nuzzling his nose against Jun’s chin. 

He thought for a moment, wondering what could possibly happen. “...sure.”

The fox smiled, licking his chin affectionately. “Then, you must give me something.”

“What?”

“Anything. So long as it’s given to me by you.”

Jun looked around his room. _”Give something? A gift?”_ He sat up, looking towards his desk. The fox jumped off his lap, sitting beside him. Jun stood up, moving to his desk. “Something... Anything....” He opened the top drawer and pulled out a thin braided bracelet with a black heart charm. He considered it for a moment. He remembered that it’d came with a book series. It wasn’t a very good series. The bracelet was nice though. He turned and showed it to the fox. “Will this work?” The fox nodded and craned his neck as Jun approached him. Jun clipped the bracelet around the fox’s neck. “I think it suits you.”

The fox gently touched the necklace with his paw and hummed contentedly. “Yes, I do as well.” There was a puff of sweet smelling smoke and suddenly the fox was gone. In his place was Tsubaki. 

Jun started to jump back, but Tsubaki grabbed his injured arm, pulling Jun back towards him. “Ch-Chiyuki...?” Jun stammered, blinking in disbelief. 

Instantly, the room was filled with a bright red light, spiraling around Jun’s wrist and Tsubaki’s arm. A long rope of light connected the two. The light dimmed quickly and the room returned to normal. Except, of course, for the stranger sitting on Jun’s bed, holding his arm. 

Jun felt his whole body tremble. Too much was happening so suddenly. “W-w-what w-was that...?” He stammered, leaning away from Tsubaki. 

Tsubaki, however, was leaning towards him, smiling softly. “You said you wanted to leave this place, right?”

Jun nodded. “I... I do.... But, what was that?”

“A contract. I wasn’t sure if I could even make one, since I am different from my siblings. But it looks like I am indeed able to.” He tilted his head. “I am what’s known as a SerVamp, a servant vampire. I make contracts with a human and they become my eve.”

Jun stoped pulling away from Tsubaki. “Eve...? You’re a vampire?”

“Indeed,” Tsubaki smiled widely. “Though the contract is not yet finished. It will dissolve in twenty-four hours unless I drink some of your blood.” He hummed, touching the bracelet that had grown with his form. It hung just under his throat, loose enough not to choke him. “Are you certain about wanting to leave?”

Jun thought for a second, quickly mulling things over. “...yes.... I want to leave. I want to find satisfaction in something again.” He looked up at Tsubaki. “Chiyuki, will you take me with you?”

The vampire grinned, showing off his fangs. “Of course, my eve.” He tugged the bandages off Jun’s arm, pressing his lips against the semi healed wounds. A moment later, Jun felt two sharp fangs pierce the still fresh wound. Immediately, the rope of light reappeared, solidifying into a bright red chain, linking them together. Tsubaki sat up, licking blood off his lips. “Shall we go then?” Jun nodded. Tsubaki scooped him up in his arms, walking them towards the window. “I do hope you’re not afraid of heights.” That was the only warning Jun got before Tsubaki leapt out the window.


	2. In the Garden: There is Sun

Jun wasn’t sure how he felt about suddenly being surrounded by vampires. He wasn’t scared of them, no his father had scared him more, but he wasn’t exactly comfortable with them by any means. Or maybe, they weren’t comfortable with him. Belkia was almost always too loud and energetic. Sakuya seemed to hate him and Jun didn’t even know what he did. Otogiri didn’t say much and preferred to keep to herself. Hanging out with Shamrock was awkward at best and stress inducing at worst. The only one who’d really made Jun feel welcome was Higan. He’d grown attached to Jun, often taking him along on minor “missions” which were usually just trips to a convenience store, but Jun appreciated them so much. Higan was also a good listener, but he was even better at calming Jun’s worries. 

 

“You’ve been awfully quiet today,” Higan noted as they walked around downtown. They were checking up on all of Tsubaki’s subclasses, the ones that lived on their own, away from the chaos at the tower. 

“I guess,” Jun mumbled. His hood was pulled low over his head. The sun always seemed too bright lately. He fidgeted with his hands, picking at the skin around his nails. 

Higan hummed thoughtfully, then steered them into a little coffee shop, straight into the line. “Are you hungry?”

Jun shook his head. “Not really.”

“Well, let’s get something anyway. What would you like?”

Jun shrugged noncomitally, but looked at the menu. “Chocolate milk...?”

Higan hummed in agreement. “Two chocolate milks please.”  
.  
.  
.  
Their order came out quickly, the chocolate milk was already bottled and ready to serve. Higan chose a table in the back of the shop. The booth was shrouded by plants and inlaid into the wall. Higan sat down, setting the match he was chewing on to the side. Jun sat across from him, taking a long drink of his milk. 

“Feel better?” Higan asked. 

Jun nodded slightly, pushing his hood off his head. “Thanks. Higan.”

He nodded, drinking some of his own milk. “So, what’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing, just... nothing.”

“Now come on. This old man understands more than you think. When you worrying about stuff you start playing with your hands. You don’t do that when you just feel bad.” He leaned forward, propping his elbow on the table. “You’ll feel better if you tell me.”

Jun hesitated, not looking at Higan. “I don’t think the others like me very much....” He mumbled. 

“Oh?” Higan tilted his head. “What makes you think that?”

“I... I don’t know.... They just... don’t like me....”

Higan hummed thoughtfully. “I can’t see why.... Maybe they’re just still getting used to you. It’s been a while since most of us have had a positive relationship with a human. Let alone living with one.” He picked a stirring straw out of the little cup on the table, sticking it in his mouth.

Jun hummed softly, tapping the cap of his milk bottle with his fingernail. “I guess.”

Higan shrugged. “I really can’t talk for the others, but I don’t think they dislike you.” He patted Jun’s head. “After all, you’re our master’s precious eve.”

Jun flushed slightly, ducking his head to let his hair hide his face. “Thanks Higan.” 

He nodded, smiling softly and stood. “Well, we’re almost done with our mission.” He winked playfully. Jun snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. “If you wanna head back to the tower now, feel free.”

Jun shook his head. “I wanna stay outside longer. I don’t get to see much of the city during the day.”

Higan nodded. “I suppose that’s true.” He slipped his match into his pocket for later. Jun stood up to follow him. “Oh,” Higan said, “You know, there’s a little park not too far from here. It might be nice for you to sit and enjoy the day. Even though it’s cloudy, it’s still nice out.” 

Jun’s eyes lit up. “Really? That sounds like a great idea!” 

Higan smiled and nodded. “Alright. You go on and I’ll be there in under an hour, okay?”

Jun nodded, rushing off in the direction Higan pointed him. It was only several minutes later, that Jun realized he didn’t ask for directions. He looked around, not seeing any kind of park. At the same time, Higan realized that he just let a teenager who couldn’t read any of the signs run off on his own. He patted his pockets for his phone, but found it missing once again. “Oh dear...,” he breathed.   
.  
.  
.  
Half an hour later, Jun did find a park. He wasn’t sure if it was the right park though. There was a map in front of the park, with a little “you are here” star. At least, Jun thought that’s what it was. He really wished he could read Japanese. He recognized a couple characters, but that did little to help him. He sighed, reaching for his phone. He didn’t want to bother Higan before he was done with his “mission,” but he figured giving him an early “I’m not where you think I am” wouldn’t hurt. Jun pulled the phone out of his hoodie pocket and stared in horror at Higan’s phone. “I... am so screwed...” he breathed, starting to panic. “Uhhh.... I can call Belkia...!” Using the number saved in Higan’s phone, he dialed Belkia on his own. 

Belkia picked up after the third ring. “Hello hello! You have reached Belkia the magnificent!”

“Hello Belkia...” Jun said softly. 

“Oh. Eve-Chan.” Belkia sounded surprised, but a lot less enthusiastic. “What is it?”

“I Uh.... I got separated from Higan... and somehow ended up with his phone....” 

There was a pause from the other end. “How... the HELL...?!!” Belkia roared over the phone, Jun held it away from his ear. There was a sharp thud from the other end of the phone, and Jun heard Shamrock’s voice, but couldn’t hear what he was saying. Belkia sighed into the phone. “Sham says he has Higan on the phone. Tell us where you are we’ll send him to fetch you.”

Jun felt his face pale. “Ummm....” He shifted from foot to foot. “I’m... at a park... I think.”

“....”

“I don’t know. I can’t read Japanese.”

“....”

“I’m trying to... I’m getting better. Look, why don’t I just send you a picture?”

Someone tapped Jun’s shoulder. “Excuse me,” a voice said from behind him. “You’re at Sunset Park, off of Shinjuku.”

Jun turned around, a relieved smile on his face. “Did you hear that? Sunset park?”

“....”

“Half an hour? Great. Thanks Be- ...okay.” Jun lowered the phone, unamused. “He hung up on me....” He sighed and shook his head, stuffing his phone in his pocket. “Well, thank you for that,” he said to the stranger. 

The stranger smiled brightly. He was cute, not pretty like Chiyuki or any of the others he usually hung out with, but he was cute. He had short brown hair and bright brown eyes that shone like stars. He wore a simple T-shirt and jacket with the sleeves rolled up. He looked to be just a little younger than Jun. A small black cat hung off his shoulder, looking a bit annoyed, but mostly sleepy. 

“No problem,” the boy grinned. “Do you want us to stay with you? It’s getting pretty dark and it can be dangerous around here after dark.” He spoke in a chipper voice that was surprisingly genuine. Jun felt himself slowly losing the tension he always had in his shoulders. 

“Oh! Sure! I didn’t know it was like that around here. Thank you!” 

The boy laughed. His shoulders raised, shaking the cat. “No problem!” He dropped his shoulders, nearly knocking the cat off his shoulder. “Should we go sit then?” He gestured towards the park. Jun nodded as the boy paused, looking down at his cat with a slightly pained look. “Ow.... Kuro, your claws....” The cat gave him an apologetic look, repositioning himself on the boy’s shoulder. 

Jun laughed behind his hand. “Aww. How cute. Your Kuro then?” he asked the cat. 

The cat yawned hugely. The boy laughed softly. “Yeah. This is Kuro.” He petted the cat’s head. “I’m Mahiru Shirota.”

“I’m Jun,” he smiled. “I’m not from around here, so I get lost a lot.” 

Mahiru laughed softly as they sat on a pair of empty swings in the empty park. “Well Jun, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Jun wondered if he could make friends with Mahiru and his cat. He hoped so. It’d be good for him to get away from all the vampire stuff for a while every now and then. Silently, he wished Higan would give him a little more time. He wanted to talk to Mahiru for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how’s you guys liked this. ^<^  
> I had a really great discussion General_Zargon last chapter and that got me excited to write the next chapter too. Hope y’all enjoyed it. ;3


	3. In the Garden: There is Strife

Jun decided he liked talking to Mahiru. He was funny, sweet, and good natured. Jun could tell right away that Mahiru was the kind of person who had a lot of friends. Somehow he put Jun at ease, which was not an easy task by any stretch. 

“So, what brings you to Japan?” Mahiru asked, scratching his cat behind the ears. Kuro had crawled down into Mahiru’s lap and curled up there, purring lazily. 

“Uh... It a bit difficult to explain.... My... Someone I’m close to lives and works here, so he brought me with him when he came back. Ah. I guess it’s not so complicated after all, when I say it like that.” Jun laughed softly. 

Mahiru nodded approvingly. “Its always best to explain things simply.”

Jun grinned and nodded. “It is.” He looked down at the cat in Mahiru’s lap. He’d rolled on to his back, letting Mahiru rub his belly. “You’re cat’s really cute.”

Mahiru blinked in surprise, looking down at the cat like he’d forgotten he was there. He smiled softly. “Yeah. He’s cute when he’s not being a pain.” He poked the cat in his belly. The cat glared up at him. Mahiru laughed. “Just kidding.”

Jun grinned and snickered. “I have a little friend like that too. He’s black and white though. But just as soft and fluffy, when he lets me hold him....” 

“Aww. Not much of a lap cat huh? Kuro’s not usually this attached to me either, but I think he just doesn’t want to move, or get dirty.” Mahiru scratched Kuro’s chin, snickering when Kuro spread out over more of his lap. 

Jun let out a soft “Aww.”

The sudden light from the street lights made him jump. How long had they been talking for? Jun checked his phone for the time. It’d been almost an hour. “Uh oh.... It’s been a long time past when he was supposed to be here....”

Mahiru checked his phone too. “You’re right. Do you think he got lost or something?”

“He doesn’t usually get lost himself. He usually just drops stuff.” Jun shook his head, clutching his phone tightly. “Maybe... Maybe I should call someone...? It’s been too long.... Something must have happened...!” Jun’s field of vision narrowed as he was imagining all the horrible things that could have kept Higan so long. 

A soft hand touched his shoulder. Jun raised his head to see Mahiru smiling at him. His smile made Jun feel a little better. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Jun smiled softly, nodding. “Yeah. He probably just... got sidetracked.” Jun nodded, more affirming this time. “Yeah. He’s definitely fine.” He looked up at Mahiru, grinning. Mahiru smiled back. 

A loud boom startled both of them and jangled the chains of the unoccupied swings. Kuro rolled out of Mahiru’s lap and hit the ground with a startled yowl. Mahiru scooped Kuro up, into his arms and looked over to where a cloud of dust rose, less than a block from them. 

“I guess I see what you were talking about when you said it got dangerous around here...” Jun mumbled, clinging to the swing. 

Mahiru shook his head silently, grasping for what he should do. He took a step towards the dust cloud. Someone could be hurt. He glanced to Jun. But he couldn’t just leave him alone. He didn’t know what to do, the situation was getting too complicated for his liking. 

That particular dilemma was quickly solved by another, much larger dilemma. A man with a long red ponytail ran into the park, dodging a blur of black and purple that launched itself at him. Mahiru recognized Licht right away as he chased Higan. Hyde appeared a moment later, covered in rubble and scrape marks. Mahiru watched as Licht leapt at Higan again and again, only for the vampire to dodge him every time. 

During one dodge, Higan managed to catch Licht’s ankle and swing him into Hyde, sending them both sprawling with a yelp and a string of curses. Higan took two steps towards Mahiru, then stopped, his shoulders sagging. “You’ve got to be kidding me.... Sloth and his eve are here too?” He rubbed his forehead, nursing a headache. 

Mahiru took a step backwards, then glanced at Jun. Jun was staring at Higan like he’d grown a second head. “What on earth is going on....?” He breathed, looking shaken. 

Mahiru decided there and then that he had to get Jun out of there safely. He was just a lost kid. He didn’t need to be involved with all the complexity and danger of the servamp’s world. Mahiru grit his teeth and took a defensive stance. “Let’s go Kuro.”

Kuro bit Mahiru’s arm. There was a puff of smoke and Kuro, in all his shut-in vampire glory, stood before him. He yawned hugely and scratched his head. “What a pain....”

Jun squeaked and jumped backwards, falling out of the swing. “Ow.” He sat up. “Wait....” He blinked up at Kuro and Mahiru, seeing them in a completely new light. 

Mahiru smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.”

Higan rubbed his forehead. “I have to say, I didn’t expect this....” He chuckled and summoned a flame in his hand. “I’m not looking for a fight, honestly. I’m just here to-“

“Die demon!” Licht cried as he flew through the air. Higan ducked, letting Licht fly past him and skid to a stop several feet away. 

“Come on, can’t you give this old man a break?” Higan groaned, dodging a yellow foil that Hyde had chucked at him. The sword buried itself in the ground near Licht. And Licht, of course, used it as a spring board to launch himself into the air again. 

Mahiru stood still for a moment, at a loss for what to do. Licht and Hyde seemed to have Higan under control. But for some reason, Higan was hardly fighting back. Mahiru couldn’t understand why. He decided that it didn’t matter at the moment, he could figure it out later. 

Jun rose to his feet, looking worriedly between the fight and Mahiru. His whole arm was shaking even as his hand clenched around it, trying to hold it still. He looked so scared. Mahiru made a snap decision. He grabbed Jun’s arm and started dragging him towards the edge of the park. “Come on! We need to go!” 

Jun’s eyes widened as he let himself be pulled along. But he still glanced back at the fight. They had almost made it to the edge of the park when one of Hyde’s foils shot towards them. Kuro easily deflected it of course, but Mahiru couldn’t help but notice that the fight was following them. 

Suddenly Higan slammed Licht into Hyde again and shot towards them. Kuro moved to intercept him, but Higan threw a ball of fire on the ground and everything was engulfed in heat. Mahiru flinched as a gust of hot air scalded his face. He felt Jun’s wrist disappear from his grip. He grasped for him, but only caught air. 

“Sorry to cut our dance short,” Higan called. Mahiru blinked, whirling around until he saw Higan. He was perched on top of the wall surrounding the park. Mahiru felt a chill run up his spine as he saw Jun slung over Higan’s shoulder, squirming and kicking. Higan readjusted Jun and gave a short wave. “I just came here to pick something up. Maybe next time Eve of Sloth.” 

A second later, Higan and Jun had vanished. Mahiru felt his stomach drop. Kuro crouched down beside him, ruffling his hair. “What a pain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those keeping track at home, Mahiru’s currently 0-2 with Higan at this point. And this would be the second time Higan’s kidnapped somebody in front of him. Poor boy.
> 
> Also, I just wrote this in the span of about four and a half hours, while doing other things. I think(?) it’s a bit shorter than the others, but cliff hangers and tiredness. ;p


	4. In the Garden: There is an Idea

Tsubaki sighed, laying his head on his arm. Jun sat across from him, fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie. Tsubaki cracked a smile and started laughing. The manic sound of his laughter always made Jun nervous. He sighed. “Not interesting at all...” He shook his head and sat up again, looking at Jun with an amused expression. “So, you somehow managed to get lost again and ended up finding Big Brother Sloth and his eve.”

Jun nodded slightly. That’s what it seemed like. “I didn’t know there were other servamps around here....” He hung his head. 

Tsubaki giggled, crossing his legs. “Oh, no. You don’t understand. I’m not mad at all. I think it’s hilarious.” He cackled again. “Ah.... But it’s not interesting at all.” He grinned. “Did he say anything to you? About me perhaps? Or else about himself?”

Jun shook his head. “No. I just talked to Mahiru. Then Higan showed up....” He hesitated, tugging at a loose string on his jacket. “Why was Higan fighting with the person with the backpack with wings and the person with swords? Were they servamps too?”

Tsubaki hummed, plucking a hard candy from the bowl on the coffee table between them. “Yes. Big Brother Greed and his eve are... troublesome. And seem to be holding a grudge....” Tsubaki snickered, covering his mouth with his sleeve. 

“A... grudge?” Jun tilted his head. 

Tsubaki waved the question off. “It’s not important.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Well, there’s not much else to say. Except... be very careful around my servamp siblings. They’re all very dangerous and they all don’t like me.” He gave Jun a sickly sweet smile. “Do you think you can stay safe, my precious eve?”

Jun nodded, despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach. “Yeah. I can try.”

Tsubaki smiled wider and clapped his hands. “Perfect.”  
.  
.  
.  
Jun sat alone in the common room. He wasn’t the only person in there, but he at alone. Belkia, Shamrock and Otogiri were playing some card game at the other end of the room. Jun hadn’t wanted to join. He was curled up in a too soft arm chair, staring out the window as he sketched the skyline. Higan said he was getting better at perspective so he wanted to keep practicing. 

Someone cleared their throat softly. Jun looked up and saw Sakuya standing behind him. “Hey,” Sakuya said. 

Jun blinked, his eyes wide. “...Hey....” He tilted his head. Sakuya didn’t usually talk to him. 

“I...” Sakuya started, shifting from foot to foot. “I heard you ran into Mahiru....” He looked like he was fighting himself. “How... how is he?”

Jun blinked again. “He’s good... I think. He seems really happy and... uh... friendly.”

Sakuya nodded slightly. He scuffed his shoe against the carpet. “Yeah. He’s... always like that....”

“Do you know him?” Jun asked, tilting his head. 

Sakuya nodded. “We... we were friends, classmates.”

Jun smiled. “I think he’d be a good friend.” 

Sakuya looked down at his feet. “Yeah. He was.” He tensed up, then shook his head. “Belkia said you need to work on reading Japanese. I can... help.... If you want.” 

Jun nodded slightly, shifting in his seat. “If you want to....”

They both waited there for a moment, then Sakuya cracked a smile. “Sure. Maybe later we can... prank Belkia? He’s been getting on my nerves.”

Jun snickered. “Sounds fun.”  
.  
.  
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Mahiru paced back and forth anxiously. Kuro watched him silently, even more worried about the waves of nervousness that radiated off of his eve. They were in a room at Tetsu’s family’s bath house, Tetsu himself was off doing chores, but Misono, Lily, and Hugh were all watching Mahiru too. Kuro was starting to get worried. He looked over at Old Child, Hugh, helplessly. 

Hugh understood. He coughed. “So, you’re sure this person wasn’t a vampire? He wasn’t one of Tsubaki’s subclass?”

Mahiru shook his head. “His eyes were blue. I’m sure. You saw too, right Kuro?”

Kuro shook his head, shrinking into his jacket. “I wasn’t paying attention. But he didn’t smell like blood, besides his own.”

“His own?” Mahiru stoped pacing. “He was bleeding?” 

Kuro shrugged, laying his head on the table. “There was a bandage sticking out from his sleeve. There was a little blood. But it wasn’t bleeding a lot, so I didn’t think it was important.” He sighed. “What a pain.”

Misono crossed his arms. “It’s possible that that is completely unrelated. But what would Tsubaki, or at least, Tsubaki’s subclass want with some regular guy?”

“He said he was from over seas,” Kuro murmured, tilting his head so his hood completely covered his head. 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Misono asked, sounding skeptical. 

Lily hummed thoughtfully. “Well, it’s possible that Tsubaki’s subclass was getting some variety in his diet. The taste of someone’s blood can vary depending on their genetics or their diet. Though, that is a rather shakey theory.”

Hugh nodded. “I’ve done something similar. One kind of blood tastes bland after a while, so when looking for new eves I traveled many great distances.” He adjusted his hat on his head. 

Mahiru knelt next to the table. “You really think that’s it?”

Hugh tapped his cane against his foot. “It’s possible. You said he had a bandage that smelled like blood.” He looked at Kuro. “Did he look well taken care of?”

Kuro nodded underneath his hood, making the fur ruffle. “Yeah. A little stressed, but it looked like his health had recently improved.”

Mahiru blinked. “How can you tell something like that?”

Kuro groaned. “Explaining is a pain....”

Mahiru glared at Kuro. “Don’t be lazy and tell me.”

Kuro raised his head. “His hands were shaking.”

“Huh?” Mahiru blinked. Misono looked confused as well. 

“It wasn’t much, but when someone suddenly gets a healthy lifestyle after a bad one, that’s something that can happen.” He hid his face again. “Happened to me,” he mumbled through the fur of his hood. 

Lily hummed thoughtfully. “You think they’re taking better care of him than he was of himself?” Kuro made an affirmative honking sound. 

Hugh suddenly stiffened and perused his lips. “Lily... a long time ago.... before you joined the Alicein family... who was that eve... with the mismatched eyes?”

“Oh. Jericho you mean?” Lily looked surprised, thinking back to the eve he’d had long ago. 

“I believe that was their name, yes.... Do you remember how you two met...?”

“Oh...!” Lily gasped softly. “You don’t mean....”

“It’s possible.” Hugh looked uncomfortable. 

Lily thought for a moment. “I couldn’t say.” He looked up at Kuro. “Do you think he was abused before?”

Kuro made an uncomfortable groaning sound. “Don’t ask me. So troublesome....”

Mahiru felt something cold drag its fingers up his spine. He remembered what Tsubaki had told him about Sakuya’s old life. “But... he wasn’t a subclass.... I’m sure he wasn’t.”

Misono tilted his head. “Tsubaki is a servamp who saves....” His eyes widened as his face paled. “Tsubaki is a servamp.”

The room dropped several degrees. Kuro burrowed deeper into his jacket. “What a pain....”

Mahiru looked at Misono with a slight horror in his eyes. “You don’t think....”

“Tsubaki’s taken an eve...? It’s possible....” Hugh muttered. “Tsubaki’s a formidable enough opponent even without the assistance of an eve. But... what could prompt him to do so?”

There was a silent moment before Lily shook his head. “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“What does that matter though? What difference could it make?” Tetsu asked, suddenly leaning into the room. 

Mahiru jumped in surprise, banging his knees on the table. “Ow....”

Tetsu closed the door behind him, moving over to the table. “Eves are a servamp’s reason right? So Tsubaki having an eve should be good thing, right?”

Hugh hesitated. “Not if the eve can’t handle or control him. Lawless’s previous eves couldn’t control him and look where they ended up.”

“A servamp having an eve that can’t keep them in check is like handing an unstable person a bazooka,” Misono mused. “It’s a balance. The eve is the reason to the servamp, who in turn protects the eve and grants them power. If that balance is off....” He furrowed his brows. “It doesn’t end well.”

Lily patted Misono’s head. “I don’t think Tsubaki would kill him though. Based off of how he treats his subclasses like family, I would think that he’d treat his eve much the same.”

Hugh climbed over the table and into Tetsu’s lap. “I agree. The biggest concern is Tsubaki gaining power and doing as he pleases with it.” Hugh touched a finger to his chin. “Although... if C3 finds out... we’d have a different problem.”

Mahiru felt something twist in his stomach. “You don’t think they’d hurt Jun do you?” Hugh didn’t say anything, which said a lot. Mahiru leapt to his feet. “We have to warn him!” 

Kuro groaned. Lily raised his hands disarmingly. “Tsubaki’s probably already aware of the dangers.”

“That doesn’t mean Jun is!” Mahiru felt panic build inside him. Kuro tugged on his pants leg. Mahiru looked down to see Kuro’s cat form clinging to him. 

“Mahiru, you need to calm down,” Kuro said softly. He climbed up Mahiru’s leg until his eve picked him up and cradled him against his chest. Kuro’s soft purring calmed Mahiru down. 

“You’re right....” He looked up at the others. “What should we do then?” 

Misono sat up straight, clearing his throat. “We should focus on getting information. If Jun truly is Tsubaki’s eve, trying to separate him from Tsubaki would end badly. But offering him assistance wouldn’t hurt.”

Lily tilted his head. “Assistance? What do you mean?”

“If we could make him a strong eve, he could keep Tsubaki and his subclasses out of trouble.” 

Lily hummed. “That could also cause C3 to settle down. They’ve been alarmingly active lately. Good idea Misono.”

Mahiru smiled, feeling a light in his chest. “Yeah! That’s brilliant Misono!”

Misono flushed, turning his head and covering his face. “Of course it is.” He was blushing very darkly. 

Hugh leapt to his feet. “Then, I’ll alert my subclasses to keep an eye out for Jun. We’ll find him in no time!”

Mahiru grinned. Visions of a peaceful future danced through his mind, slightly out of reach. For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely just wrote this in one day between classes. =3=
> 
> I may have a problem....
> 
> Oh well!! >w>


	5. In the Garden: There is an Exchange

It was nearly a week later before Mahiru saw Jun again. He’d been out shopping and had caught sight of someone with choppy brown hair in a red hoodie. He rushed down the street and grabbed that person’s shoulder. And, to his great relief, that person had been Jun. 

“Oh! Hello again!” Jun greeted, clearly surprised. 

“Jun....” Mahiru grasped for words. “Ha-how are you?”

Jun blinked in surprise. “Just fine.... Twisted my ankle the other day.... Oh! You mean, because Higan...! Ah. I’m good. He’s the person who I said was coming to pick me up. Sorry if it scared you. Higan’s a little dramatic. Though he’s probably one of the least dramatic people I know... if that tells you anything.”

Kuro poked his head out of Mahiru’s bag. “Meow.”

“Oh, hello. Kuro right?” Jun waved at Kuro who looked up at Mahiru expectantly.

Mahiru looked hard into Jun’s eyes. There _were_ blue. “Jun... uh....” Mahiru shifted from foot to foot. “Are you... Tsubaki’s eve?”

Jun looked puzzled for a moment, mouthing “Tsubaki?” Then his eyes widened. “Oh! Yes! I am. I call him Chiyuki.” He smiled at Mahiru. “You’re an eve too right? Kuro’s eve?”

Mahiru nodded. “Are you... Does Tsubaki... Chiyuki... take good care of you?”

Jun tilted his head questioningly. “Of course...? He’s a lot nicer than- He’s really nice and sweet. He takes good care of his subclasses too. Most of them are... uh... not very social, but they’re all, uh, pleasant when we do interact....” He laughed softly, scratching the back of his head. 

Mahiru’s eyes widened. “You... hang around Tsubaki’s subclasses? Do you know Sakuya?!” He leaned forward eagerly. 

“Oh! Ooooh!! You’re the Mahiru he’s always getting teased about?!” Jun cracked a smile. “Yeah, he’s great, and super funny too!” He giggled, remembering Sakuya’s jokes and pranks. 

“He’s alright? How... how is he...?” Mahiru suddenly felt a twinge of something sad in his chest.

Jun hummed. “Why don’t we go sit down somewhere? My feet kinda hurt.” He laughed softly. “There’s a coffee shop I like just around the corner.” Mahiru nodded, feeling a twisting in his stomach.   
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Mahiru stared down at his tea as Jun chattered on endlessly about how Sakuya was teaching him to read Japanese and how Higan was teaching him to draw and how Tsubaki, Chiyuki, was getting friendlier and letting Jun pet his fox form. 

Mahiru smiled slightly. “Sounds like they take good care of you. I have to admit I was a little worried....”

Jun tilted his head. “How’s come?”

Mahiru scratched his cheek. “Well, our previous encounters with Tsu- Chiyuki weren’t too friendly, but I don’t think badly of him,” he said hurriedly. Jun tilted his head the other way, blinking curiously. Mahiru laughed awkwardly. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Are talking about the Servamp War?”

Mahiru paused, then nodded. “Yeah... How did you...?”

“Sakuya told me about it. But the way he talked about it made it seem like it was decades ago, if not centuries. And after that Higan told me he’d fought with the greed pair before, that’s the guy with the angel wings and the guy with the fencing sword weapon right?” Mahiru nodded slightly. “Higan said they were super strong as a pair, when they work together.” Jun laughed softly, scratching his cheek. “That’s a pretty big compliment coming from Higan.”

Mahiru sat dumbfounded for a moment, then his face broke into a grin. “Oh... wow! That’s... that’s cool.” He grinned and Jun briefly wondered if his smile had ever transformed Kuro. 

Jun paused, tilting his head. “So... which servamp is Kuro?” He glanced down at the bag at Mahiru’s feet. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

Mahiru smiled, looking into the bag to see Kuro stretched out and half asleep. “He’s the servamp of Sloth. And believe me, he tries his best to live up to that title....” Mahiru shot an irritated look at the cat. 

Jun snickered. “Aww. Chiyuki lives up to his name too....” He got quiet, looking down at his hot chocolate. “We’re a lot alike actually, maybe that’s why he picked me as an eve....”

Mahiru tilted his head, slightly shaken by Jun’s sudden change of attitude. “How so...?” He asked tentatively. 

Jun laughed softly. “Ah, never mind, you probably don’t wanna hear about something like that....”

Mahiru sat forward a little, surprising Jun, who sat back. “If I didn’t want to hear about it I wouldn’t have asked. You can tell me if you want to.”

Jun’s face turned a little red. “Um... well.... We’re both... depressed, I think....” He laughed softly. A part of him wanted to take back his comment, another part was glad that Mahiru seemed interested in his theory. 

“Depressed?” Mahiru tilted his head. He thought for a moment. “You know... now that you mention it....” He raised an eyebrow and eyed Kuro. “Maybe servamps get depressed easily. Now that I’m thinking about it... Kuro and Hyde both seemed kind of... well, depressed.” He looked back up at Jun with a spark in his eyes. “But both Hyde and Kuro got over their depression with help from their eves! Do you think you can help Tsubaki?” His eyes shone with an excited hope. 

Jun felt his face heating up. He scratched the back of his head. “I can certainly try....” Conveniently, Jun’s phone buzzed in his pocket, making him jump. He pulled it out of his pocket and sent a quick text. “Higan’s ready to head back. I’ll see you later then.”

Mahiru suddenly got an idea. “Let’s exchange numbers! We can text and maybe put an end to this discourse between Tsubaki and the other servamps.” He grinned, proud of his quick thinking. “Thinking simply, the easiest way is to let them talk it out right?”

Jun tilted his head, nodding eagerly. “That’d be great! And it’d be a great excuse to get out more.” He pulled up a new contact, handing his phone to Mahiru. 

Mahiru typed his number into the phone. “Text me later and I’ll add your number, okay?” 

Jun nodded and grinned. He stuffed his phone into his pocket and grabbed his drink. “Bye Mahiru. Bye Kuro.” He waved as he rushed out the door, hurrying to where Higan was waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. I fionally got this chapter done! (I say as though I haven’t just been doing other stuff. >->)
> 
> This is written in a slightly different style than my other works, which makes it really interesting to see how it turns out. Let me know what y’all think! ^^ b

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you guys think. It’s pretty self indulgent and not my best story by far, but I’m rather pleased with it.


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